Melting furnace



NOV. 17, 1931. THQMPSQN 1,832,063

I MELTING FURNACE Filed July 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Nov. 17, '1931. H. M. THOMPSON 7 1,832,063

, MELTING FURNACE 7 Filed July 15, 1928 2 Sheets Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES HARRY M. THOMPSON, OF WASHINGTON,

PATENT OFFICE PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T SIMPLEX ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE MELTING FURNACE Application filed July 13,

ply and control of the heat that a uniformly superior product will be obtained.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the hearth of the furnace'on the line II of Figure 2. Figure 2 and Figure 3 are cross-sections taken respectively on the lines II-II and IIIIII of Figure 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, namely, toward what will be called the rear of the furnace. Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IVIV of Figure 1, looking toward the front of the furnace.

The furnace as a whole is contained within the opposite end walls A, B, side walls 0, D, hearth E and roof F. a

The body 1 of the furnace-chamber above the hearth is preferably open and unobstructed, while the melting-hearth is bifurcated by the inner. longitudinal wall 2, extending from the front wall A of the furnace to a point near the wall B, and leaving a passageway or channel 3 between its rear terminal and the rear wall B for the flow of the molten glass from the primary arm 4 of the meltinghearth to the succeeding arm 5. Heat generated by the combustion of any suitable fuel may be supplied to the melting-chamber at any suitable point or points, but one of the advantages of the described construction of the furnace is that I am enabled to use producer gas and air as fuel, supplied through the regnerators 6 and 7 which open into the melting-chamber through the ports 8 and 9 arranged in the front wall of the furnace respectively in line with the arms 4 and of the melting-hearth. The substances composing the batch will be charged through the door 10 in the side wall C of the furnace near the front of the arm 4 of the hearth, and the molten glass will flow from front to rear of arm 4, through channel 3, and thence from 1928. Serial No. 292,464.

rear to front of the arm 5 of the hearth, while the direction of flow of the burning gases w1ll be reversed from time to time between the ports 8 and 9 as is usual in regenerative heating furnace practice.

v The channel 3 may be of any suitable width and depth, and I prefer to place at the entrance of the channel a floator skimmer 11.

For access to the channel and shifting and renewal of the skimmer'a door 12 is provided in the rear wall B of the furnace.

A second inner longitudinal wall 13 ex tending from the rear wall B of the furnace I to a pomt near the front wall A forms the outerwall of the arm 5 of the meltinghearth, and the passageway or channel 14 between the end of wall 13 and the front wall A of the furnace connects the meltingheart-h arm 5 with the final refining and working-out section 15 of the hearth E of the furnace, between the wall 13 and the side wall D of the furnace. The portion 16 of the furnace-chamber above the final refining section 15 of the hearth (which I will call the refining-chamber to distinguish it from the melting-chamber 1) is separated from the melting-chamber 1 (but preferably not entirely so) by the upper extension 17 of the wall 13. The wall 17 preferably terminates somewhat below the roof F of the furnace, leaving an opening 18 at the top of the wall, and there are preferably openings through the wall 17 which are variable both in size and location. This effect is accomplished by forming the wall 17, in part at least, of bricks or tiles which can be removed and replaced as desired. Working-out openings 19 are formed in the side wall D above the level of the glass inthe hearth-section 15, through which access may be had for varying the openings through the wall 17. a

It is preferred to place a float or skimmer 20 in the glass at the entrance end of the channel 14.

It willbe seen that the hearth-sections or arms 4, 5 and 15 with the connecting channels 3 and 14 constitute as a whole a furnacehearth of sinuous'contour, of which the arms my hand.

ber of which may be varied to suit conditions.

I claim as my invention:

1. A furnace for melting glass comprising a heart-h having a continuous sinuous channel for the melting and flow of the glass in at least three reaches. including an initial' melting reach and a terminal work-out reach, side and end walls enclosing said hearth, a roof forming with said hearth and walls a sin le combustion chamber, means for supplylng fuel to the combustion chamber, an opening for supplying melting stock to said melting reach, and an opening for withdrawing molten glass from-said work-out reach.

2. A furnace for melting glass comprising a hearth having a continuous sinuous vchannel for the melting and flow of the glass in at least three reaches including an initial melting reach and a terminal work-out reach,

side and end walls enclosing said hearth, a roof forming with said hearth and walls a single combustion chamber, regenerative means for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber and for discharging the products of combustion therefrom, an opening for supplying melting stock to said-melting reaeh and an opening for withdrawing molten glass from said work-out reach.

3. A furnace for melting glass compris inga hearth having a continuous sinuous channel for the melting and How of the glass inat least three reaches including an initial melting reach and a terminal work-out reach, side and end walls enclosing said hearth, a roof forming with said hearth and walls a single combustion chamber, means for supplylng fuel to the combustion chamber, an

opening for supplying melting stock to said melting reach, an opening for withdrawing molten glass from said work-outreach, and

an internal curtain wall above the hearthbetween the terminal reach and an adjacent intermediate reach and having variable openings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set HARRY M. THOMPSON. 

